Method of finishing railroad-spikes



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOIVARD GREER, OF LAKE VIEW, ILLINOIS.

METHOD OF FINISHING RAILROAD-SPIKES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 401,346, dated April16, 1889. Application filed. January 1'7, 1889. Serial No. 296,690. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern,-

Be it known that I, HOWARD GREEK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lake View, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented 0r discovered a certain new and useful Improvement in theMethod of Finishing Railway-Spikes, of which improvement the followingis a specification.

In operating my present improvement, I commence with the spike asordinarily made, or with any form or construction of spike orspike-blank of substantially the general form and construction desiredin the finished article, but preferably of steel. In the use ofrailway-spikes the entering or lower end frequently comes in contactwith a knot of such hardness and character as to bend, deflect, or twistthe spike out of vertical position.

By my improvement I give to the spike a point or cutting-edge and atemper such that it will cut through the knots usually encountered, andalso will out, instead of break, the wood fiber, as a result of which itwill be driven straight, and also when driven will be surrounded on allsides and throughout its entire length with comparatively unbroken wallsof wood, and thereby its holdin g power will be brought to the maximum.

Taking either the ordinary spike or any specially-made spike-by which Imean a machine-made article or blank-J first grind the point to theusual or any desired bevel on one or both sides, according as a'wedgeshape or chisel shape is desired. This grinding is done in such way asto heat the point of the spike or spike-blank to what may be termed atempering heat, or a heat at which steel will take a temper-say,cherryred, or thereabout. The method of doing such grinding is alreadywell known in the art. In this way a well-finished cutting-edge will bemade at the extremity of the point; and in order to preserve thiscutting-edge, especially as against injury from the miscellaneoushandling or banging which spikes are aptto receive in packing andtransportation, I next temper the point thus made. ThisI do while thepoint still retains the tempering-heat, produced as above stated.- 1

While still at that heat, or before it becomes so far cooled as to beincapable of being tempered, I subject the point of each spike to theaction of water or steam, or of any other tempering fluid or liquidadapted to produce a tempering effect. The water or other fluid may beapplied in the form of a jet, drip, or small stream, or the hot point ofthe spike may be dipped into water or other liquid, or other suitablemode of application may be adopted. In this way the spikes are finishedand perfected so as to improve their driving quality, especially inknotty ties; also theirholding quality when driven, especially in thesofter class of woods, which are now chiefly employed, as hard woods arebecoming scarce; and, still further, their durability is increased, asthe point, being tempered, is not liable to be injured by handling ortransportation.

While the method herein described and claimed can perhaps be used withgreatest advantage as applied to spikes made distinctly from steel, itmay also be used with good results on those steel-like irons which willnot take a temper, or even in the finishing of wrought-iron spikes, theonly difference being that the fluid or liquid hereinbefore spoken of asdoing the work of tempering would in such case perform an operation morein the nature of case-hardening; but the result as regards improving thepoint or cutting-edge of the spike would be the same in kind, anddiffering, if at all, only in degree.

I believe that I am the first to temper or artificially harden aspike-point in any way; but the completed article forms thesubjectmatter of a separate application.

I claim herein as my invention- The method of finishing spikes, whichconsists in grinding the point on one or both sides, heating it by thegrinding operation, and tempering or hardening the point so heated, andat the same heat, by subjecting it to the action of a suitable temperingor hardening fluid or liquid, substantially as described. I

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HOWARD GREER. Witnesses CHARLES F. Lonson, CHARLES A. ALLEN.

